DEAR BLOG FRIENDS

Thank you for visiting and following me!
Am pretty sure I will be done with this artblog, since moved to HERE  (main page) 

to present my art in a more organized fashion - one medium per page!  Still in a similar style -my painting with artnotes

On the main page there, you can click on the right sidebar for each medium.

Each has a different URL though.
Click HERE for pastels
Click HERE for landscapes in oil
Click HERE for watercolor


You will like it! Jesh St. G.

STORMY SKY IN THE GRAPEVINE

Pastel,  11 1/2 x 19 3/4 inch, St Germain

Notes

Didn't have enough pastel paper left for the whole scene,
so I focused on the sky in this painting
with a late aftenoon sun and long shadows
When I paint a scene like this,
I'm there on the top of these hills,
and in the shadow s of these trees


a landscape or city scape
without getting the exact feeling/mood,
is a shell without a soul. 

BEFORE FALL APPEARS

© Sunstruck, Oil, 24 x 32 inch, St. Germain

NOTES

Before Fall appears I lke to post this, because

it's hard to get the "feel" of a blazing desert sun burning on one's skin, plants are dried up, hardly any shade, or water to be found, when things are cooling down around you, and at dawn a veil of fog and clouds covers the landscape.

Because I know a little about drought, having lived in California for 20+ years, I started with this painting in April 2010 after the eruption of the volcano in Iceland. dealing with weather disasters. It belongs in the middle of a series of 13-15 paintings.
So this painting is not about a nice desert landscape,
it is such a serious drought, that people start digging for water.

~*~

SANDY BEACH

© Symbiotic Trees, 9 x 12 inch, Oil, St Germain

NOTES

late afternoon discovery of

-flowers on the river shore

- symbiotic spindly tree trunks

- late afternoon reflections in the water

At the last minute went to the art store in Yosemite Nat. Park to get a smaller canvas.

Perfect size for this little pretty scene in oil.

Except for the little spindly tree trunks. 

They would have come out more natural on a bigger size canvas. 

Considerable tweaking of background tree mass, 
as well as flower bush.
These colors look good in a pic, but not in a painting!
Started late afternoon on painting, so choose a purplish mood.

A lasting plein air impression of my vacation this year.

STUDY OF AUBURN HILL

~*~

 

ART NOTES 

Usually I do watercolors in the summer

in my vacation,

but this view was too tempting to pass up this Spring

Done in my Arches sketchbook I recently found

it's my favorite paper cold pressed 140 lb.

this is a side view of this hill,

planning to paint a top view in pastel

My watercolor interpretation above

is of this hill 

~*~

IRIS

 NOTES

Always loved the deep blue, leaning against purple of the iris.
Yet it seemed a difficult flower to paint. Vincent v. Gogh changed my mind. 
If I recall correctly, he has at least three paintings with irises in them. 

The blue-purple combined with green is not much see in paintings in general.
A good reason for an artist to dare commonality!

But how does one fill a square canvas with a mainly vertical shape? It looked kind of bare and stilted. Then I got an idea to put in the background 
as if it was wind moving the petals...and the rest is history. .





~*~

FOR EASTER

Fragrant Gardenia 24 x 24 inch Oil, St.Germain

Notes

Gardenia is one of my favorite flowers because of its fragrance. 
Sometimes I wish that the flower would be bigger.
I got my wish in my painting (24 inches big!)
As you can see, I layered the colors around its edges, 
so it would not look like a cut-out.

Wish for you a great Easter with nice weather:)

BEAVERDAM

Beaverdam, 12 x 18 inch, Pastel, St.Germain

NOTES

Even though I had a photo, I had to make decisions about a number of things 

Color-wise:

My decision was to play up the yellow, red and green  colors

All the other colors had to fit around them.

It still made for a serene painting, because

there was still quite a bit of white and shades of gray

Design -wise:

It may work great for a photo, but for a painting 

it's kind of tricky to have three "horizons" on top of each other, in an oval frame!

 I lowered the bottom part  so I would NOT have the beaverdam 

cutting through the middle of my paper!

About Focus of Interest:

I had to choose what would be most important for me in my painting.  

I didn't think the grey reflections would pop, 

when there are so many colors in the surrounding areas 

- unless I would paint only part of this scene. 

I lowered the bottom part, so I could have the beaverdam  

and the reflection of the trees (not seen in the scene) as the focus of interest.

original pic of Becky and Gary at woodynookcreations

Did my painting decisions change the mood of the original photo?

What are your thoughts on it?

THE LATE BLOOMER

The Late Bloomer Oil, 24 x 24, St.Germain

NOTES

Not intended to imitate Georgia O'Keefe! But just came out this way... 
a wilted rose on my table kept in this position for longer than a week
so I decided to use my 24 x 24 inch canvas that I didn't know what to do with for a year.
(nothing is cropped off the painting)
It was like the lid was blown off
of something I did not know was in me
and I painted 14 more flower paintings
all 24 x 24 and a few 24 x 30 inches.
That was a few years ago. 
I called them my Celebrity Collection.
Lately I've been feeling inklings 
to do a few more:)

ANGEL OF THE MUSIC ARTS

24 x 30, Oil, 

NOTES

Okay with me if you don't believe in angels. You can still enjoy the painting:)
But to make my intent clear, this is an angel of music and worship unto God. 

- On top of the left sleeve are different kinds of flutes  
- on  upper right sleeve are paint brushes.
- included ballet slippers for dance and a banner or flag, for artists who do flag work. 
One time I saw a guy dressed in a white shirt and black pants 
in his twenties (?) handling 4 white shiny flags at once -it was pure artistry! 
- for the story on the flutes, 
go to main blog page at end of weekend January 14 (click on right side bar Mysteries)

THE POINSETTIA TREE

18 x 36, Oil, St. Germain

NOTES

- Still need to put in place finishing touches, here and there. 

I call this my poinsettia tree, 

a variant of the tree that is decorated in this season. 

Three colors  of this plant is all I could handle:)

- The Christmas balls were an afterthought. 

Decided to add them after one of my friends imagined the balls

in the Christmas tree to be gifts.

All you had to do, was grab 'em!  Thought that was a wonderful idea for life.

Go ahead, get any gifts being up there - they're there for the taking!

WHAT AM I PAINTING ?  Find out  around Dec. 24....

BRIDAL VEIL FALLS WATERCOLOR

NOTES

- One of my early watercolors, signified by the sharp edges of Bridal Veil Falls at Yosemite. This scene was this year totally immersed in water!

Thought it would be fun to do my pic of my painting for Midweek Blues, hosted by Rebecca

http://thedustycellar.blogspot.com/

 for Watery Wednesday at http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/, hosted by 2sweetnsaxy, 

for Skywatch at http://skyley.blogspot.com/ on Friday, and for 

Weekend Reflections at http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com/hosted by James. 

I thank all these hosts!

ASCENT AND DESCENT

Ascent and Descent, 36 x 36 inch , oil, St.Germain

NOTES

- In one of my next posts (in next few weeks) on main blog MYSTERIES

read why I posted this painting....

Some interesting anecdotes surrounding the painting when it was  finished

- Design wise, the "ladder" (ascent and descent) started with an "X" 

with the angels displayed on the "X" with more of a loop.

- my take on angels is that they have different personalities, fitting with their task

ACTS TWO

The phenomena described in Acts 2 was always very intriguing to me. 

Always wondered what it would look like to see

a sea of red fiery tongues above people's heads. Never knew 

how to paint it till one day. 

Suddenly I "got" it that it was the dove (symbol of the Holy Spirit) 

descending on people should be center stage, 

and that the visible phenomena were a" by product."

 ACTS TWO. 24 x 30 Oil, StGermain

NOTES

Here the Dove is not a sign of peace

or a sign of new life (Noah)

here, the dove is a sign of fiery consuming power
So enjoyed painting the broad strokes,
the warmth of burnt sienna
lighting up van Dyke Brown and
Payne Grey
the White in motion
a force to reckon with!

***************

THE PAINTING THAT STARTED IT ALL

Genesis 24 x 30, Oil, St Germain

My first abstract painting
actually was meant to be a background
for a collage of leaves,
but everyone told me,
"It's not a background, it's a painting!"
Even my dear hubby, who does not 
comprehend abstract, saw all kinds of things in it!
So, I called it Genesis, for this one proved to be
the beginning of a whole new way for me
of working in oil.

GONE BESIRK? NO, ABSTRACT!

© 9 x 11 Pastel on Paper, St.Germain

 NOTES

Has been long, since I did something totally abstract,

so I was careful not to chew off too much

My sketch on black art paper with pastel.

So far, so good:)

© 18 x 36, Oil, St. Germain

Rain of His Presence

NOTES

Rain 

dripping like honey

from heaven's throne

traveling through a thousand blues

mingled with blood

so freely spilled

falling on rich brown earth

creeping into any crevice of 

each atom coated

enveloping me

with eternal love

© St.Germain

LITTLE BOY'S LUNCH

Little Boy's Lunch, 24 X 30, Oil, St.Germain

NOTES

Refer to main blog this time for Notes
thanks!

© Life's A Beach, 22 x 30 Watercolor, St.Germain

NOTES

- layers of color showing, 

symbolizing layers of meaning

concerning view of life & motivation.

More details this Friday on main blog (7/23/2010)

NOTES

- This Oil painting is part of my Celebrity Collection of 15 flowers   

that I painted a few years ago. 

- All flowers are painted on a 24 x 24 canvas.

- Believe it or not, I spent most time painting on the leaves, 

so they would not look stiff or formal.

- Since the Netherlands are going to face their final game 

in the world cup soccer this week,

I'll give Holland three cheers with these tulips!